Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated vs Phosphor Acoustic Guitar Strings: which is safer?
D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated is the clear pick. Elixir Phosphor Acoustic Guitar Strings carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
D'Addario
Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleCoating degradation and particulate release
PossibleAllergic contact dermatitis (copper sensitivity)
Elixir
Phosphor Acoustic Guitar Strings
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleProprietary polymer coating composition unknown
PossibleCoating degradation and particulate ingestion
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Coating degradation and particulate release and Allergic contact dermatitis (copper sensitivity) on the D'Addario and not on the Elixir.
- We flag Proprietary polymer coating composition unknown and Coating degradation and particulate ingestion on the Elixir and not on the D'Addario.
- The D'Addario is 80/20 Bronze (copper-tin alloy) with phosphor-bronze coating where the Elixir is Phosphor bronze wound steel strings with proprietary Elixir coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 35 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the D'Addario is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Elixir grade, at 45% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
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